What do you want to talk about? I see stories but am too wiped out from the antibiotics to think of much. The main thing is that BooMan has given himself a break, taken himself out for dinner, and is relaxing, so we have to (pretend to) be productive in his absence.
Warning: If I go “poof,” it’s because we’re having high winds again. I can hardly walk outside to put the food out for the little critters. Hope we don’t lose DSL again. Or, worse, electricity.
Do you think anything’s going to happen with Darfur? Kofi Annan is really pressuring Bush to get off the dime, send troops in to enforce peace. But I recall reading a few months ago that the Canadians TRIED to send troops to Darfur but were turned down by the Sudanese government. Will the Sudanese accept U.N. forces, or only those from Africa?
On the Cheney front:
- “Can Cheney be His Own Declassification Machine? — In my view, the law says ‘No’. . .but I have little doubt Alberto Gonzales and his minions will construct a rationale that says otherwise. — But I have run across some interesting information — and have some questions that we should all pose …” (Steve Clemons, Washington Note)
- “The Little-Noticed Order That Gave Dick Cheney New Power”: …
“”Is it your view that a Vice President has the authority to declassify information?” Hume asked.
“There is an executive order to that effect,” Cheney said. …”
Cheney was referring to Executive Order 13292, issued by President Bush on March 25, 2003, which dealt with the handling of classified material. That order was not an entirely new document but was, instead, an amendment to an earlier Executive Order, number 12958, issued by President Bill Clinton on April 17, 1995 … the Bush order also contained a number of provisions which significantly increased the vice president’s power.” (Byron York, National Review)
- “The public visibility of the presidency itself is under revision. More of it lies in shadow all the time. Non-communication has become the standard procedure, not a breakdown in practice but the essence of it… With these changes, executive power has grown more illegible under Bush.” (Jay Rosen, Press Think: Ghost of Democracy in the Media Machine)
So, besides Dick Cheney, undescended male cat testicles, and erotic (but far too provocative) Latin dancing, what else can we discuss?
<ducks>
Speaking of which! My daughter brought me a piece of pie from some bsns function she had to go to … hazelnut and pecan pie. Oh boy.
The last pie I got was at Costco. They make these huge pies for such great prices…. and I”ve learned how to eat my pies now so I can share.
I eat all the apples. The raccoons get all the crust. They don’t like the apples, the little twits. But crust! Oh momma. And I don’t need the calories and fat.
(Poor coonies. One of Valerie P.’s teenagers got hit by a car last week in front of my place. They’re just like us. That teen group has hardly come over since to eat what I put out. I think they’ve learned that that street is terribly dangerous, and their sibling’s blood still stains the street.)
P.S. I was afraid someone would dump the coonie’s body or sell it to a rendering plant, so I put a sign out that I would take care of burying it. The street people came by — someone had called the city — and the street workers saw my note, and called me on their cell phone. I walked out and talked to them. Told them I was very fond of this raccoon, and would like to bury it myself. They carried his body into my backyard. The city workers couldn’t have been nicer or more helpful. Didn’t give me any grief. Just helped me. How kind.
Then another old neighbor came out and yelled at us about not taking the body away and leaving it out to rot. So, I went over and talked to him, assured him I’d take care of it, and he became very nice and friendly to me … whew … That night, Darcy and her boss came over and took Valerie’s baby. They buried him next to the little kitten we’d lost last year when Darcy was fostering kittens.
But the teens are hangin’ as much anymore. Poor honeys. They grieve too.
that’s there’s no greater symbol of humankind’s destructive aspect than car culture. Seriously.
I mean, in a perfect world, I’d have a car for special occasions, and I’d take some form of mass transit most days. Or walk.
But as you know, in LA, that’s kind of tough.
Murphy says, “Hi,” and that she’s very sorry about Valerie P.s’ loss…
I wish I’d known earlier that the plan was to pretend to be produtive tonight. Cuz I’ve tried to convince myself off and on all evening that I ought to actually read /comment on something of substance tonight. But instead I’ve been reading a book and I did my nails and talked to a friend who lives in Florida. And talked baseball in the cafe. And watched the Olympics.
I think if I start pretending at this point, it’s going to be pretty obvious that I’m just a big liar.
And we wouldn’t want that, would we 🙂
Oooh, I love baseball!
And I’m reading a mystery novel, personally…
Pitchers and Catchers reported today.
You should’ve been in the cafe earlier. All women baseball fans.
I’m reading the latest PDJames. What are you reading?
No shit?! San Diego Padres – whoo-hoo!
I have a Jake Peavy Bobble-head NASCAR figure. It’s one of the tackiest things ever made.
Let’s see. I just got the PD James to read last night. Recently finished Ruth Rendell’s latest. Am now reading a book by a fellow named William Lashner. This is the third of his I’ve read. It’s a bit over-written but fun. My working theory is that he’s gotten better as he’s gone along. His latest, and I’m afraid I don’t remember the name, was absolutely hilarious. The self-deprecating humor reminded me a bit of a male Sue Grafton.
Any recommends?
So now we have a Padres fan (you), a Cardinals fan (me), a cubs fan and a lone american league Cleveland fan.
I wanted an Albert Pujols bobblehead doll, but I could never get one. Maybe this year. Or maybe a Scott Rolen action figure.
I’ve never heard of William Lashner. I recently read some Deborah Crombie and a couple of months ago I read the latest Elizabeth George. And if you like really strange themed mysteries there’s a woman named Lindsay Davis who sets her mysteries in the Roman Empire in 78 AD — very humorous but also educational!
Oh, Deborah Crombie is fun! I also like…erm…Cynthia Harrod-Eagles and her Bill Slider series. Light stuff but enjoyable.
I love roman historical mysteries and have a read a couple of series, by authors whose names I can’t remember at present. Stephen, erm..I dunno.
Another good one is Laura Lippman – have you read her? Not roman historical, contemporary Baltimore PI.
Oh, and Owen Parry – he writes this great Civil War series. The weird thing is, in real life he’s this neocon named Ralph Peters, though apparently he went off the Bush reservation b/c of the incompetence of the Iraq occupation. I try not to let this disturbing fact keep me from enjoying the Owen Parry books, which really are a lot of fun.
And yeah, Lashner was one of these ones, I just had his books lying around, and from the covers they looked really typical and dumb…but he’s actually pretty good and getting better as he writes. If I knew the name of his latest I’d tell you, but it actually made me laugh outloud a few times.
Have you read Jasper Fforde? The Tuesday Next series?
Have you read Jasper Fforde? The Tuesday Next series?
LOVE them! I think the third – was that “Well of Lost Plots”? was my favorite.
me too! And now there’s the new series he’s started about the nursery rhyme division. I can’t remember the name of it but it was about the murder of Humpty Dumpty.
Owen Parry – he writes this great Civil War series. The weird thing is, in real life he’s this neocon named Ralph Peters …
I keep meaning to get one of those since you’ve recommended them so many times.
Did you know that Patrick Lang has put up his Civil War novel at his blog? It’s about espionage during the Civil War… I think he’s put up almost all the chapters now.
Now that I know he’s a neocon — it might be hard to get past that.
Well, he’s not a doctrinaire neo-con. He’s a retired MI Army Colonel and not everything he says is heinous. But he was definitely a doctrinaire Bushista until, I’m thinking 04, when the extent of their incompetence in Iraq became clear. I haven’t seen any Op-Ed pieces from him recently, which makes me think he went off the Bush reservation and hasn’t returned.
I’ll put him on the (neverending) list.
I’m heading off to bed so I can make it through Friday. See ya
Oooh, is it good? I should check it out.
Like I need anything else to read right now…I really should be writing.
Which…I am doing…between posts.
Who else voted in the ABC ballroom dance contest?
sorry, I was to busy slacking off in other ways.
Er, is that…dancing with the stars? Nope, sorry. I would like to second Mary’s excuse!
to Susan and Mary H. I’m crashing too…and Murphy the cat is sprawled out on my thigh…